Something that’s helping me become more aware of God’s presence more often is practicing Sabbath. And let me reiterate “practice,” it’s a practice; something we try and then adjust. Here’s how I practice:
✨The day: I do Friday dinner to Saturday dinner. Sunday is a bit too full for me to enter into the Sabbath rest my soul needs.
✨The phone: my phone time is very very limited. I put my phone on “Downtime.” I can still receive phone calls, which makes me feel okay and calms the voice that’s like, “but what if there’s an emergency?!” If there is, I’ll see the call. But all my communication apps are silenced. Y’all, this is not as easy as it sounds. I hardly ever say y'all but I feel like this situation deserves it. (tbh I spelled it ya’ll until I got auto-corrected). Don’t look at your phone for 5 hours. The first time you do it, you’ll be like, “omg what do I do with my hands?!” Go grab a book or paint brushes or still them in your lap as you stare out the window. It’s hard, but oh so rewarding.
✨The what: I read, a lot. And I read novels, not a self-help or a spiritual book. I sit in my lovely chair or lay on my couch and read. For whole hours. That might sound awful to you. If it does, that’s totally fine. What sounds glorious to you? Do that. Do that with God. Not everything has to be super “spiritual” to be Sabbath-worthy.
✨The worship: No, not everything has to be spiritual. However, I do think you’re missing out on Sabbath if you don’t have some intentional time connecting with God. For me, that means I don’t rush my time with Him. I read the Bible slowly, I journal, I sit and pray and ponder. I just be with Him, and I love it so much.
Thing to note: I don’t have kids. However, I have friends with kids who still practice sabbath. It becomes a whole family thing, and honestly, it’s beautiful.
How do you practice Sabbath? And if you don’t, what keeps you from practicing?